Promise To Keep

by Rainwater, Priscilla Poole

  ******************************************************

  There were few things Aisha ever did that she would consider habit. Well, since Jenny’s death that had changed, but before that she had only had one habit, since her eighteenth birthday. She sat at the desk in the office, pen and paper in hand, and wrote to her family, bringing them up to speed on the events in her life, just as she did every year, once a year. She enquired about her older brother and younger sister, even though she knew they wouldn’t reply. She included an article about her work and her award, a clipping of Jenny’s obituary, and a photo of herself that was taken at the awards ceremony. Sealing the envelope, she put a stamp on it and decided she would drop it off the next time she went into town shopping. Maybe they’ll write back this time… she thought, a small glimmer of hope flickering in her, same as years past.

  Checking her watch, she saw the lasagna had another thirty minutes to go before it was done. She went upstairs to unpack, and saw something laying on the bed in the dark. Flipping the light switch on, she smiled. Walking to the bed, she bent and picked it up. It was a small, but cute teddy bear. It had a small, sad frown on it’s furry face with one tear falling from a glass eye, and clutched in it’s tiny paws was a small sign that read “I’m Sorry.“ She hugged it to her chest, sighed, and giggled softly. “Who knew he could be a such a romantic?” she mumbled.

  Placing it on her nightstand, she picked up the cordless phone and dialed Helen’s number.

  “Hello?” a cheerful voice answered on the fourth ring.

  “Helen, it’s me, we’re back!” she said as she flopped down on the bed, grabbed the teddy bear, then hugged it to her bosom with one arm.

  “It’s about time you called.” her friend huffed, then said, “Soooooo, tell me everything that happened!”

  Knowing there was no way she could have known that she and Connell had slept together, she said, “Well lets see..Jenny’s book is going to be published, we went to see the Yankees play, but those damn Red Sox beat them 7-2, oh, and you should have seen Connell at the ceremony! Girl, he looked so fine in his tux!”

  Helen let out an impatient sigh. “Yeah yeah, all that’s nice, but you can fill me in on that later,.I want to know if anything REALLY good happened, you know what I‘m talking about, so don‘t even TRY to play dumb!”

  Aisha bit her bottom lip, and blushed even though no one was around. “I’m, I’m not sure I know what you mean.“ she stammered. Helen chuckled, and she blushed again, knowing her friend knew. Somehow, she knew, and was humoring her.

  “Alright dear, when you’re ready to spill your guts, you know where I am. I’ll give you till this weekend to come clean though, not a minute more. We’ll have a nice girls night out, then you WILL deliver the goods!”

  “We’ll see,“ Aisha mumbled. “Uh, look, I have to finish cooking. Lets go shopping tomorrow and have lunch, my treat. I have some things I got you and Ben while we were in New York.”

  *******************************************************

  Connell looked at the dead calf, then all the tracks surrounding the animal, and figured Jonus had estimated the number just about right. Turning to him he said, “Jonus, just keep that rifle with you at all times, and in the camper with you at night. Now that these dogs have had a taste of blood, they’ll be back. There’s an extra box of ammo in the glove box of my truck, go ahead and take it too, I have more in the house.”

  Jonus nodded as he looked around. He hesitated for moment, then said, “Connell, .there’s something else I have to tell you, something that scares me and worries me, and I certainly didn’t want to mention it in front of Aisha. There are people in town talking about you and her. I feel it’s none of their damn business, and I wouldn’t even mention this to you if it was just a couple of blowhards, but… I went to the Roadhouse Tavern the other night to shoot pool. Billy and Leroy Harrington were there shooting off their mouths. Well, they were talking about what a real white man would do to her. Aisha, I mean. I started to call the Sheriff, but you know most people are too scared of those two to back me up if I asked them to be a witness to what they said.” he finished, not wanting to tell Connell exactly the way they had put it.

  Connell knew both of them. They were brothers, and two rotten apples if there ever were any. They were born bad, and trouble always seemed to follow them around, when they weren’t starting it themselves. They both had been in and out of prison for breaking and entering, various drug charges, and assault. They would be just the type to attack a helpless woman. He didn’t care how tough most people thought the two of them were, if either one of them touched her he would kill them with his bare hands.

  “Connell, I’ll be here to help if you need it, I just felt you should know, and maybe you could talk to Aisha and tell her to be careful..”

  He nodded, already thinking about what would be the best way to deal with the lowlifes, and decided it would be best to meet them on their own turf. “Alright, how about going with me to shoot pool after dinner? I’ll invite Ben to come along.”

  Jonus knew what he wanted to do, and nodded.

  “Good, let’s feed the animals and lock everything up.”

  *******************************************************

  Aisha had just put the roasted garlic bread on the table when Connell and Jonus came into the kitchen. “You two wash up.” she commanded.

  Connell went to the sink and washed his hands while Jonus used the downstairs bathroom. “We’re gonna’ have to eat and run, we made plans with Ben to go play pool, loosen up a bit. We haven’t had a boys night out in awhile. Don’t worry, no beer or liquor for me.” he grunted.

  She placed a large avocado salad on the table, along with a bottle of wine and nodded.

  “Listen, if those dogs of yours start barking, I don’t want you going outside to see what’s going on. I think there may be a pack of wild dogs running around, probably what killed that calf. And Aisha, please, humor me, do NOT go outside if there’s a ruckus going on, just lock yourself in the bedroom and call me, I’ll have my cell phone with me. And if someone knocks on the door, don’t even think of answering.” he said, wanting to ask her to go stay with Helen, but neither him nor Ben wanted to alarm them.

  She wasn’t sure if there was something he wasn’t telling her, or if it was because of her being in the middle or nowhere alone, so she simply nodded and said, “Alright, but don’t worry, I can take care of myself. Have been for a very long time.”

  Satisfied, he nodded just as Jonus walked in.

  They all sat down for dinner.

  ***************************************************

  The Roadhouse Tavern was just on the outskirts of town. The patrons were usually a mixture of farmers, factory workers from the next town, and of course, the always present resident redneck troublemakers, bar flies, and good ol’ boys. Over half of the people that frequented the place Connell and Ben had known all their lives. The bar wasn’t very busy at the moment, and wouldn’t be in full swing for a couple of more hours.

  All three stepped inside the dim, smoky room. Ben and Jonus went to an open pool table, while Connell went to the bar to order a pitcher of beer for them. When he turned from the bar to head to the pool table, Patty Miller was standing in front of him.

  Looking him up and down in a way that made him uncomfortable, she leaned towards him and purred. “My goodness, look at you. It’s great to see you’re getting out more, alone.”

  Greeting he r with a faint smile, Connell got the distinct feeling that she would have jumped him and tore his clothes off, right there on the spot, with the entire bar looking on, if she knew he would let her.

  She stuck her hands in the back pockets of her tight jeans and thrust her barely concealed breasts out so he could get a good look, as she openly appraised him. She could have swore he had actually gotten better looking than the last time she had seen him, and as her eyes drifted over his body she licked her lips. She loved a ma
n that could wear his jeans, and the way those blue jeans fit him, he would be a lot of fun. The red tee shirt showed off his hard upper body, and she shivered despite the hot temperature of the room, thinking about how good it would feel to be underneath him. If he would give me just one chance, I’d make sure he never wanted another woman.. she thought.

  “Excuse me Patty, but Ben and Jonus are waiting for me.” he said as politely as he could, then stepped around her and walked to a table that was near the pool table the men were playing on. “Here ya go, guys.” he said, placing the mugs and pitcher down.

  Never one to give up easily, Patty followed. “Dad said when he delivered the lumber, he got to look around, said that he thought you have one of the best farms in this county. He said at the rate you’re going your land is going to be worth a bundle.” she said as she sat down beside him uninvited. She was thinking about how wonderful it would be with a man that could take care of her and buy her expensive things, unlike most the men she dated, who were always broke. And it didn’t hurt that this man looked so great. “You need someone to help you handle that place as fast as it’s growing.” she added as she propped her chin in her hands and stared at him.

  Ben and Jonus glanced in their direction and tried not to laugh at the obvious hint that she wanted to be the one helping him.

  Patiently, Connell looked at her and said, “I have someone helping me, and she does a wonderful job.”

  Her smile faltered, but she said nothing. Taking a drink from her own mug of Michelob Light, she watched Ben and Jonus play, all the while trying to think of a way to get the man she wanted.

  Out of respect for the girl’s father, Connell allowed her to stay, not wanting to hurt her feelings. She nursed a couple of beers over the next two hours, and several locals approached her tentatively, but she brushed them off. No one was rude, taking note of Connell’s size. He drank soda, ordered nachos and cheese, and they made small talk about their school days of yesteryear. At one point she begged, pleaded, and cajoled him into one slow dance with her when an appropriate song blared over the jukebox.

  Finally tiring of pool, Jonus and Ben sat down to join them.

  *********************************************

  The place was crowded when the Harrington brothers came in, already drunk and in a mean mood. Always on the lookout for trouble, they spotted Connell immediately.

  Leroy, the elder of the two, led his brother straight to their table. He had always hated Connell and Ben, the two men were everything he wasn’t, and could never be. But he had always pretended the hatred was because he felt they thought they were better men than him. And Jonus he didn’t like simply because he came from a wealthy family. “Well looky looky here, if it ain’t Mr. Perfect and his two pussy butt-buddies.” he sneered at them while Billy chuckled nervously.

  Billy, like his brother, was big, strong, and mean, but the truth was he would rather drink tonight than fight three big men. He preferred blindsiding a man rather than going toe-to-toe.

  “Cut it out Leroy, why don’t you just go!” Patty snapped, sliding her chair closer to Connell.

  “Shut yer’ pie-hole, bitch! If I want any lip from you I’ll scrape it off my zipper!” Leroy snarled as Billy yucked it up dutifully. “Worst pussy we ever had, wasn’t she Billy-boy? Only time her legs are ever closed is when she sees a bigger wallet than tha’ one the guy she’s fucking has got.” he said as he spun around and looked at his younger sibling.

  The place had quieted down as most patrons began taking notice of the trouble that was brewing. The jukebox was silent, having just finished the last song a young couple had played.

  “You shut your God Damn ignorant mouth, don’t you talk to her like that.” Connell said quietly, but with a deadly edge in his voice.

  Spinning back around, Leroy stared at him, as if unable to believe anyone had the nerve to speak to him in such a manner.

  “I don’t know what you have against her,” Connell said, nodding towards Patty, “but I don’t take kindly to anyone talking to any woman that way. And at least show some respect for her father, the last time your sorry ass was released from prison he gave you a job, when no one else would.”

  Eyes nearly bulging from his sockets, Leroy spat on the floor and said, “Fuck that old gimp!”

  Suddenly Jonus sprang up from his chair and started to go after Leroy, but Ben grabbed his arm and shook his head, knowing Connell wanted to handle the loudmouth himself. They were simply there for backup.

  Connell kept his cool and said nothing as he slowly stood, sizing him up. The man was only an inch shorter than him, but very near the same weight. His greasy brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail, he had several scars on his face and neck from a knife fight, and a few teeth missing that had been knocked out from various brawls over the years. His arms were covered with tattoos, among which could be seen the rebel flag, and another that said, “white power.”

  Leroy, never being a man who knew to stop while he was ahead, or smart enough to know when he was skating on thin ice, kept going. Stepping closer, he looked at Connell and said, “Best watch your mouth, college boy. Heard you got some nice chocolate stuff over there living with you. You playing a little master and slave game out there on your big ol’ farm? Hell, I‘d like to do that myself. Me and Billy-boy might just tiptoe on down there sometime in the middle of the night, or while you‘re in town, and get us a taste. Show her a couple of REAL men. Yes Sir, we’ll show her a real good time, fuck her good and prop…..”

  Connell moved so fast he Leroy no time to react. A powerful hand clamped around his throat and squeezed, and the power in that hand paralyzed him with fear just as surely as a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming truck. Another hand grabbed him by the belt, and the room swam as he found himself hoisted up over the man’s head.

  “Hey!“ Billy yelled as he started forward, but was met by Ben and Jonus. Grabbing his arms and pinning them behind him, Jonus spun him around as Ben landed powerful blow after powerful blow to the man’s jaw and gut.

  “Out of the way!“ Connell bellowed at Patty. She scrambled up and out of the way, as he hurled the man’s full weight down onto the table, face first. The table crumpled under the impact, and blood sprayed from Leroy’s mouth and nose as his remaining teeth were shattered and his nose broken.

  Ben and Jonus had flung Billy against the wall, where Ben pinned the man to the wall by his shirt collar, and both began working him over as his body slowly sagged to the floor.

  Bending over, Connell snatched his prey off the floor and lifted him by his shirt. “Don’t you even THINK ABOUT IT!!!!” he roared loud enough to be heard outside the bar, as the man stared at his enraged face through eyes brimming with tears of pain, rage, and humiliation.

  Hurling him to the floor, Connell raised a size fourteen work boot and stomped on the man’s ribcage. Everyone in the bar winced as they heard the sound of bones snapping.

  Bending down to the floor on one knee where the man was writhing in pain, Connell grabbed his hair, leaned down, and said, “If you, or that sorry-ass brother of yours ever come near my family, or HER, I WILL. KILL. YOU, and I’ll make it slow, UNDERSTAND??? You’re fucking with the WRONG GUY, Leroy!!!” YOU GOT ME???”

  Blood gushing from his nose and bubbling through his smashed lips, the man could only manage a desperate, “Yeth thir! Yeth thir!!!” through the shattered ruins of his mouth as he nodded his head frantically.

  “GOOD!” Connell boomed, and slammed his head down onto the floor for added emphasis.

  “The same goes for you, shit-for-brains!” Ben growled as he finally released his hold on Billy and the man sank to the floor coughing.

  Looking over at his brother, his eyes grew wide and he said, “Yeah yeah! Look, I didn’t mean it, Ok?” he managed in between gasps.

  “Sorry Charles, I‘ll pay for the busted table tomorrow, you know I‘m good for it.” Connell called over to the stunned bartender.

  “Sure Connell
, you bet. No rush, just whenever you have the time.” he stammered.

  “You Ok?” he asked as he turned and looked at Patty.

  “Oh yeah. That was…something.” she said breathlessly, and looked at him like he was Zeus. “I’ve never seen anyone so strong. You sure can handle yourself. A girl could get spoiled by a big, strong man like you in a hurry.” she finished, all pretenses of merely flirting gone. The fight had revved her sexual engine, and there was raw lust and a yearning for something even more in her eyes.

  “I guess we better head home. Take care, Patty.” he said as all three turned and left.

  As she watched the three of them leave, she thought, Oh, he’s gonna’ be my man, and I’m gonna’ be his girl, if it’s the last thing I do. Glancing over at Leroy, she wondered if he could help her get what she wanted.

  *******************************************************